Is a super-limo inbound?
German marque BMW has long resisted the idea of applying the full M treatment onto its 7-Series luxury limousine, time and time again stating that doing so would be undignified and unwarranted. However, a trademark filing in the US suggests that they’ve softened their stance somewhat, with a report suggesting that Munich might have a super-limousine in the works after all.
Specialist blog Bimmerfest uncovered a filing with the US Patent & Trademark office for the ‘M7’ badge, alluding to the possibility of a high-powered performance saloon that’ll sit above the M5. At present, performance nutters after a 7-Series have been making do with the M760Li, with its biturbo V12 mill and 448kW/800Nm of sheer terror.
It’s possible that an M7 could use an uptuned version of the V12, or perhaps ditch it for a lighter, smaller mill. Such a mill could come in the form of the 4.4-litre biturbo V8 that features in the BMW M5 Competition, itself good for 460kW and 750Nm. We know that the V8 will be employed under the bonnet of the BMW M8 when that arrives, but the certainty of its use in an M7 is shaky.
But then again, this could all be an exercise in futility. Patents and trademarks are filed for all sorts of things just in case the powers that be decide they need it. BMW might not have an M7 at all (god forbid), but are merely opting to keep the name safe should they decide to explore that route.
That said, considering the popularity of high-performance full-sized limousines, BMW would be foolish not to field an M7.
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